According to a new study by Healthista, 41 per cent of us have IBS symptoms that as yet haven't been diagnosed.

The research commissioned by Alflorex the probiotic, which polled 1,600 UK women aged 25-65 found that bloating, in particular, had stopped women from wanting to reveal their bodies to a new partner, with nearly 20 per cent saying that it had stopped them from getting intimate.

Dr Simon Smale, consultant gastroenterologist and trustee of the IBS Network says that many of the women he sees are deeply distressed by their symptoms.

"As a result, women are often worried about the effect on of their gut symptoms on their relationships but I speak to their partners and they’re much less worried about any of that.

"Often, the men are more like, ‘Well, everybody farts. I fart, it’s certainly not a deal-breaker for me.

"We all strive for a sort of intimacy in our relationships and that is difficult for women when they’re worried about passing wind or that they might lose control of their bowels."

And that embarrassment is stopping women from getting down and dirty for fear that they'll fart at the wrong moment.

It's the risk of flatulence that causes us the most embarrassment.

After all, how many of us would feel comfortable farting in front of an old partner, let alone a new one?

And because of that shame, nearly 30 per cent of us are keeping farts in so long that they're causing us unbearable pain.

While most people revealed their gut symptoms to a new partner in the first 1-3 months of a relationship, 7 per cent took over a year to reveal their suffering and almost 5 per cent in a long-term relationship still hadn’t told their partner about their bloating, flatulence or other gut issues.

"The embarrassment about flatulence is cultural," says Dr Smale.

"We know a third of people with IBS are men, but when they have been questioned in the past, flatulence is much less of an issue.

"It might make you more uncomfortable but it won’t make it worse or lead to anything serious," says Dr Smale, who suggests a number of positions that can help release trapped wind.

"Lay on your back and put your bum in the air with one leg crossed against the other knee to help release wind, or, try going on all fours with your tail end pointed up in the air."

Also, if you’re constipated, he suggests raising your feet onto a footstool while you are on the loo.

"This mimics the ‘squatting’ position that is a more natural defecating position for humans than sitting on a toilet ever was. That’s what we did in the jungle and it’s what we’re designed to do."

5 tips for beating the bloat

Cut out fizzy drinks
‘These create gas in the intestine that leads to flatulence,’ says Dr Smale – even the diet ones. They contain indigestible sugars which have adverse effects on the gut and can lead to trapped wind. Caffeine and alcohol have a similiarly negative effect on the gut and can promote wind.’

Get out of breath a few times a week
Exercise has been shown countless times to help gut symptoms from flatulence, to bloating and constipation.

‘Exercise that gets you out of breath such as jogging or speed walking at intensity done for half an hour a few times a week helps both bowel function and heart rate,’ says Dr Smale. ‘I saw someone only this morning that said exercising three times a week cured all of their bloating.’

Following a low-FODMAP diet may help some people - and that involves cutting out onions

Diet is really important to gut function.

Dr Smale says: "Not skipping meals and avoiding processed and sugary foods is a good start. But if those things aren’t working, it is worth seeing a dietitian and trying out a specific exclusion diet such as the low FODMAPs diet."

The low FODMAPs diet has been shown in numerous studies to help alleviate the symptoms of IBS.

Food such as onions, lentils, rye, cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, beans and dried fruits are all high in FODMAPS and so are poorly absorbed by the gut.

As a result, they pass through and into the colon where they are fermented by bacteria. This leads to excess gas being produced that causes cramping, bloating, wind and pain.

Try a probiotic targeted to IBS

Gut bacteria plays an important role in many digestive health issues, says Dr Smale. But the effects of probiotics are strain specific, while one might work on IBS, another might work on immunity.

"A bit like different drugs have different effects, different bacteria strains have different effects on your symptoms," he says.

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Deal with stress
Stress affects so many bodily functions so it's crucial you get your stress levels under control.

Getting enough sleep is important and if you find that you've got a load of different pressures coming at you from different directions, then try things like yoga and meditation.

This article first appeared on Healthista.

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